


Shatter

by Candyfloss_And_Fairymoss



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, baroness is one of the hardest looking villians so she gets to be the catalyst, cup and mug are 21+, distressed mugs crying over his brother to KD, not traumatic but def distressing to remember ya future bf can break like china, this is before Cuphead and Dice get together so we get to see them forming a torch for eachother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 17:18:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12709398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candyfloss_And_Fairymoss/pseuds/Candyfloss_And_Fairymoss
Summary: King Dice has noticed small cracks on the brothers when they come to the Die House to move onto the next list of debtors, he's seen them missing their handles or with chips missing from their heads, but he's never heard of them breaking. They always return fine a few hours later, no sign of wear or tear on them, but he wonders just what happens when something goes really wrong.





	Shatter

**Author's Note:**

> The Die House is like King Dice's personal quarters, or at least part of them, that he can magic up to serve as a temporary rest spot for him to monitor the brothers progress.

_Those Soda-brains are actually getting the job done._

King Dice reclines on the day couch, the phone clenched in his fist, he can't decide whether to be pleased that they are giving them a show or irritated that this could be the sign of him losing the bet. He settles on disgruntled, and asks just what their progress is, hoping its not far. The Devil has good eyes on them, and its not like word doesn't travel fast along the isles. 

"They just finished with Matchstick, the only one left is the fair Baroness~"

King sucks his teeth indignantly, reaching down to pick lint from his suit pants, "She'll murderlize 'em." Stubborn, ruthless, and masked with the sweetest candy coating, Baroness Von Bon Bon has evaded having her soul collected before, mostly because any previous minions sent had met their doom at the hands of her soldiers and castle. The ones that met their end at her hands returned to the Devil in glistening sugar parcels with notes in fine script.

_Bite me ~ Baroness Von Bon Bon_

The letters smell of fresh vanilla and sugar, the demons she sends back smell that way as well, tar and feathered with caramel and feuilletine to become living sculptures frozen in confectionary.  

Dice shudders at the memory. The Devil laughs, "Perhaps you'll win this bet, Dice. After a tangle with Lil' Miss Sugarbritches, they won't be coming no where near that Die House. And  _I'll_ get two new errand boys!" They hang up, and Dice waits.

The first hour goes by, and he wonders if the Baroness could have done them in so quickly, they had blown through the first isle's debtors so quick. Another hour, and another. He dwells on the brothers: boisterous and slightly annoying Cuphead was the life of a party and had a heart of gold deep down. Mugman was a paragon of good intentions with his heart on his sleeve and a weird habit of taking sips from himself that could either make you laugh or want to leave the room with nausea. He finds himself smiling at their antics from the casino, watching them around the tables, and chatting with them between rolls. Mugman is the one to ask pleasant questions about your day and banter about simple pleasures like weather and past games and events. He likes the mug, he seems like a good soul. Cuphead, on the other hand, is the one who asked him to blow on his dice for good luck, and suggested Dice join the game.

Even now, he notices more about them with each run in. Mug has a habit of carrying sweet, sugary sodas and the occasional tea or lemonade, his laugh is infectious, and he can drink anyone under the table despite his cheerful sweet exterior. Cup loves root beer and sarsaparilla with the occasional Irish coffee to shake it up, he gets hiccups when hes nervous, and is a literal hot head when angry with his face heating up enough to rival his red shoes in crimson hue. 

And that's when he remembers a less charming thing. The cracks. They always come in with new ones, even as the old ones fade away and heal. Little cracks, big cracks, chips from their rims, parts of their handles missing, sometimes he laughs at the oddities they add to them while they rest in the Die House and they chuckle back dryly. Mostly, he sits silently and watches them patch themselves up, feeling slightly apprehensive of offering help if the injury is more serious. He wonders if they would accept his help, seeing as he's pretty much handed them to the Devil on a banter laden silver platter, and he finds he cannot get the words out.

So he leaves them things, little things like bandages and salves. He wonders if they find them, but when he searches for them later on, they are gone. He then begins to wonder, how bad could this get? Of course, he knows they could die, but its still not... setting well with him. He knows that there are things out there that could bring them back, but he doesn't like the idea of the two cups... 

And then the door of the Die House slams open, and they both tumble inside. 

He looks to them in a heap on the floor, and then the clock. Five hours in total. He frowns, and before he can say anything he finds a pile of papers thrown at his face. He turns to see Mugman standing before him, his eyes slightly red. Has he been.. crying?

"Mug-"

"You take those contracts and shove them!", he points an accusatory finger at him, and Dice flinches out of the way to avoid any accidental shots, "You  _ass_!"

He feels slightly wounded at the venom in his voice, but then he notices that Cuphead hasn't moved from the doorway. In fact, he doesn't move at all, and that makes him nervous. He looks worriedly to Mugman. "Is he...?"

"Cup  _broke_ ,", his voice shakes, his arm does too, "That... that...  _Baroness_... broke him right as we went to take the contract!" He sounds so close to crying Dice has no idea what to do, and Mug looks like he doesn't either. Slowly, he stands, and walks over to Cup's still body. Thats when he discovers Cuphead isn't all still, he groans and makes little reaching grabs for Kings pants leg once its in view. He isn't sure what to do, but he kneels and scoops Cup's limp body into his arms and heads to the day couch. He is briefly aware of Mugman saying something to him, perhaps yelling at him, but he ignores it to sit with the Cup in his lap. Cracks spiderweb across his face from a large chip in the back of his head, his eyes are shut lightly and it looks like he can't muster strength to squeeze them tighter. He shakes like a leaf, and he slowly lifts his hand to grip the lapel of Dice's suit, his breath shallow gasps. 

"What do we do?"

Mug eyes him mistrustfully and he can't blame him for the look, "We glue this back on him,", and he holds up a big chip of porcelain that makes him shake, "and we wait for him to heal up enough to sit up and hold some fluid." 

So they do.

And as Mugman takes point in glueing the chip back in place, and Dice holds a shaking, whimpering Cup. He wonders if it hurts, or if Cup is just aware whats happening. He gets his answer in the form of tears, and Cup shaking in his arms violently when Mug adds more glue. Hours later, the cracks seem to reseal on their own, slowly, and Cup opens his tearful eyes. 

"M-Mug?"

"He's fine.", and he is, asleep on the couch beside him, exhausted.

"Me?'

"On the mend."

At this he relaxes, his eyes drifting closed, "Tired."

"Expected."

Dice leans back into the couch and props Cup on the arm rest, smiling sleepily himself, "Get some sleep."

"But we have to get the rest of-."

"You are not going anywhere till you're better,", Mug growls from his half-asleep state, "Now go to sleep, ya sippycup."

Cup's foot jabs his brother in the side, gentle enough to not hurt but enough to be annoying. Then he shifts to move from Dice's lap, only to be stopped. 

"You shouldn't be moving around so much."

"I shouldn't be in your lap either."

"Hush up and get some sleep."

And Cuphead finds he can't fight the sleep crawling into his eyes, and goes limp. They watch each other out of the corners of their eyes, not knowing of the other's surveillance, and slowly drift into slumber.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He materializes out of the dark, and the room heats up by at least 30 degrees. Its his calling card, as his steps singe the floor for seconds before the marks fade. Gold eyes stare out of fur the color of leeching shadows, and he strides through the Die House. Without any hesitation, he walks to the couch containing three snoring forms. He grins, teeth like daggers. 

His hand hovers over the two smaller forms, eyes glinting with possessive promise as they shudder from his touch. And as he draws nearer to the injured one, he notices something. 

Dice's hand, tightening on his waist and shoulder. His head inclining slightly, as if to shield. 

And this makes the Devil laugh, from a small chuckle to something he has to stifle to keep them from waking and discovering him. He steps back and dissolves into the shadows again.

"Dice, you damned fool."

His laughter reverberates through the Die House, unheard as they sleep.


End file.
